A Foreign Office minister has told MPs that moves to pave the way for the handover of the Chagos Islands have been paused, but officials later said he misspoke. Hamish Falconer, a minister and former diplomat, said in the Commons: 'We are pausing for discussions with our American counterparts.'
Government sources quickly played down the comments, with a Foreign Office spokesperson stating: 'There is no pause. We have never set a deadline.' The confusion comes as the deal faces increasing pressure from US President Donald Trump, who last week called the plan a 'big mistake'.
The bill to transfer sovereignty to Mauritius had been expected to return to the House of Lords this week, but peers said those plans appeared to have changed after Trump's intervention. Conservative peer Ross Kempsell said: 'We were all expecting to go into ping pong on the Chagos surrender bill this week. The government are now in total disarray.'
Shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel, who is in Washington lobbying against the deal, said: 'I am pleased the UK government has been forced to pause the legislation. But ministers must go further: now it is time for Keir Starmer to face reality and kill this shameful surrender once and for all.'
The urgent question was tabled by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who claimed the UK government had blocked his humanitarian trip to the islands. Falconer told MPs: 'The view of the United States president may well have changed but the treaty has not.'
